In a machine known from DE 27 19 524 A1, the devices carrying a workpiece are arranged on a work table, which during the machining operation carries out back and forth movements in a direction along a workpiece axis. A jerky operating sequence occurs in particular during a return movement because of the relatively large mass of the table. The jerky sequence of movement appears on the tooth flanks of the workpiece as a measurable, and at times also as a visible, wavy or also slightly step-like surface, which is generally not damaging. The flanks then do not correspond with the contours and surface roughnesses, which is then noticeable during operation, for example, through increased noise development.
Part of the present state of the art is also a machine of the above-mentioned type, in which on the movable table there is arranged an intermediate table supported and centered by a central, vertical pivot pin, which intermediate table is adjustable or pivotal in a horizontal plane by means of a bar or an NC-axis, and on which two tailstocks are mounted for clamping the workpiece. The workpiece, in order to clamp or mount to the machine, must be threaded in manually, or, in the case of an automatic loading, at least one tailstock must be moved on the intermediate table. The manually or automatically started clamping movement is carried out by spindle sleeves or tail spindles. Here too, the large mass of the table is a disadvantage, and in addition, the multiple layers of tables one above the other are disadvantageous since, in the case of a hydraulic clamping movement, the intermediate table can buckle, thus can be deformed.
The prior art machine is loaded by means of a portal loader with twin gripping means mounted above and parallel with respect to the workpiece axis and with the disadvantage that the work chamber of the machine, which work chamber is closed during the machining operation, must be opened upwardly for the tool exchange, with the exiting of oil mist being hardly avoidable. Furthermore, the machine is very tall because of the loading from above feature.
Starting out from these disadvantages, the basic purpose of the invention is to further provide a machine of the above-mentioned type such that the mentioned disadvantages are avoided.